Tracking Macros: Is It Right For You?
Eating enough of the right macronutrients + training hard is what changed the way I feel and look!
There is more than one way to track your macros. If you believe tracking your intake needs to be done a certain way in order to be successful then you are inadvertently saying, “if I can’t track it perfectly, then it’s not worth my time.”
Well, of course you’re going to feel like tracking is a burden. You’re trying to use it as a means of control instead of a way to gather insight.
Is tracking macros right for you? You’ll need to consider:
✅ What tracking macros can do for you
✅ You are in control (you have autonomy, boo!)
✅ You have options for tracking macros (it’s not all or nothing)
✅ When accuracy matters
✅ Your relationship with food (this is a big one)
💚What tracking can do for you:
Tracking macronutrients is intended to be used as a tool to:
Gather insight into your eating habits
Achieve a specific goal like fat loss, adequate fueling for race or training
Encourage you to eat enough to fuel your active lifestyle
Recognize what foods you eat regularly
Pick up on eating your patterns
Reveal possible gaps in nutrient intake
Give your body gentle direction to let go of strict food rules
Reveal what food you gravitate towards when faced with a challenging day
💚You are in control. You have autonomy over your body.
Sometimes I hear, “I can’t eat XYZ” when tracking. By saying this, you’re giving an app control over what you eat. You CAN choose what to eat, and as an adult you have the autonomy to so. It’s possible you are feeling resistance to the change that needs to happen within your eating habits and blaming an app feels easier 👀. Or maybe your goals are not in alignment with your method.
I encourage you to view tracking macros as a learning experience. Doing this with a neutral approach allows you to pause and ask yourself questions like:
“Does this serve me/my current goals?”
“What did I learn about myself when faced with a stressful day?”
“Does this habit / meal improve my overall quality of life?”
“What do I hope to achieve by tracking macros certain way? Zooming out, how important is this for my overall well-being?”
💚You have options for tracking macros
View the methods of tracking your intake as a spectrum.
Not tracking at all >> flexibly tracking << strict adherence
All options require you to sacrifice something. It’s just a matter of choosing what’s most important for your goals and overall well-being. I’d also like to remind you that it’s okay for your goals to shift and change!
💚When accuracy matters
Think about tracking accuracy as a funnel:
The leaner you are, the smaller the funnel of wiggle room you’ll have for over eating your macro targets. So yes, if you want to achieve and keep a very lean body composition, you have you ask yourself if you’re willing to sacrifice:
Flexibility at social events
Time commitment necessary to meal prep and maintain training routine
Mental and emotional struggles about body image, stress management and discipline
The more specific your goal, the more you will benefit from tracking accurately (reaching certain body fat percentage, fueling well for race or competition, gaining muscle etc.)
💚Your relationship with food
In order to maintain a healthy relationship with food and your body, I encourage you to consistently check in with yourself:
“Am I learning more about myself?”
“Am I using macro tracking as a coping mechanism to gain control?”
“Do I feel confident around food when releasing macro tracking? If not, how can I change my approach to make this happen?”
“I had a tough / easy week. What can I learn about myself by reviewing this past week’s food diary entries?”
Y’all out here like, “I want to be lean, but also be a muscle mommy, run a marathon for funsies, drink wine whenever, but I never want to think about food.”
You can’t expect tracking macros to “work” if you have conflicting goals. That’s a you-need-a-come-to-Jesus problem. Not a macro tracking problem. Take it one goal at a time (and hire a coach to guide you — hello, it’s me 👋🏻)
